Undeniably Canon

"And...that's what it said," Harry finished somewhat lamely, eyeing his friends to gauge their reaction.

Hermione and Ron were staring at him with identical looks of horror. His stomach twisted uncomfortably at their staring. They weren't taking this well at all.

Ginny, on the other hand, wasn't staring at him as much as observing him, her brown eyes indecipherable. His stomach squirmed again, although it was different this time. It rather reminded him of the way he used to feel whenever he saw Cho.

"So, what you're saying is," Hermione said slowly, "either you've got to kill him, or he's got to kill you?"

Harry simply nodded, willing his eyes to stay dry. He could barely stomach that fact himself; he couldn't expect anyone else to understand.

"If you guys don't want to..." Harry started, before a lump formed in his throat. "I mean, you don't have to hang out with me anymore..."

His statement was met by the incredulous looks of all three of them, and his spirits soared.

Hermione walked over and sat beside him on his bed, wrapping her arms around him silently. He felt her shake slightly and realized she was crying.

Harry turned his head to look at Ron in confusion. Ron, to his surprise, was wearing a rather formidable scowl. Ginny noticed this also, apparently, because she too came over and hugged him.

Ron's scowl disappeared as he walked over and put a large hand on each of the girls' shoulders. "We're with you, mate," he said simply, meeting Harry's eyes steadily.

"Always," Hermione whispered.

"That's right," Ginny exclaimed indignantly. "If you think we're going to desert you now, after all that's happened, you've got another thing coming."

Harry was smiling openly now. How could he have doubted them?

*

That night, they were all sitting in the kitchen discussing anything but the prophecy.

"If we get a few good chasers," Ron said enthusiastically, "our team could be the best one in years."

"That's right," Ginny agreed. "Unless Sloper and Kirke are worse than they were this past year." She, Ron and Harry gave identical shudders.

"I simply do not understand this obsession with Quidditch," Hermione opined. Ignoring the scandalized looks from the other three, she continued. "I mean, there are so many thing more important than Quidditch."

"Like schoolwork?" Ron asked, smirking knowingly. "We know you too well, Hermione."

"Yes, schoolwork," Hermione said indignantly. "I don't care that you two managed to scrape passing grades in everything - "

"Not Divination," Ginny reminded her. "They both failed that miserably."

"Well, of course," Ron said indignantly. "If I wasn't so horrible at it, I'd have failed on purpose. That woman is nutters, she is!"

"All I'm saying is," Hermione said, "if you would concentrate on something other than Quidditch and girls, you might accomplish something worthwhile."

"Like spew?" Ron asked sarcastically. "And I don't spend lots of time thinking about girls, anyway."

Ginny gave Ron a very pointed look, which Hermione either didn't notice or ignored. Harry just smiled and didn't say anything; he was content simply to listen to his friends argue. It was so comfortingly normal.

"It's pronounced S.P.E.W., Ron, and you know that very well," Hermione scolded. "You only say it like that to make me angry."

"Apparently I'm doing a good job of it," Ron pointed out.

"Don't give yourself a big head," Hermione spat. "You have absolutely no effect on my emotions whatsoever."

"Then why do you always argue with me?" Ron said in an annoyed voice.

Harry found himself thinking that this was anything but normal. Ron and Hermione never brought up the fact that they argued all the time. It was forbidden territory or something, much like the subject of Viktor Krum.

"You always start it," Hermione accused.

"I do not," Ron argued. "You are always more than ready to scold me for every little thing."

"That's only because I want to help you," Hermione said.

"You should just leave me alone," Ron told her. "That would help me a lot."

"If I don't keep on you, you'd just slack off," Hermione said. "What if I decided not to let you use my notes to study? Where would you be then?"

"Chucked out of Hogwarts," Ron said. "Is that what you want? To be rid of me once and for all?"

"Of course not," Hermione said in a horrified voice.

"Then why are you being so difficult?" Ron challenged.

"Because I want you to do well," Hermione said.

"You want me to do well?" Ron repeated. "Why?"

"Because you're my best friend," Hermione told him in a tone that implied he should know that already. By this time, both Ron and Hermione were standing up, facing each other as if about to duel.

"Harry's your best friend too," Ron accused. "You never argue with him like you do with me."

"That's because...well..." Hermione looked rather flustered, as if she didn't know what to say.

"Ron, I'm only trying to be a good friend," she said in a pleading tone.

"Well, you're not doing a very good job," Ron said. He looked as if he regretted those words the minute they came out.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears, and she turned to run out of the room. Then Ron did something so completely unexpected that Harry could do no more than gape in shock.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back against him. Then he kissed her.

Harry supposed that he had always known, on a subconscious level, that his best friends fancied each other. But he hadn't expected them to actually do something about it.

"I didn't mean that," Ron said in a strained voice. He had stopped kissing her, much to Harry's relief.

"I know," Hermione whispered. Then she kissed him again.

Harry looked at Ginny in astonishment. She was smiling like the cat that ate the canary. Harry firmly ignored the fact that her smile was making him develop butterflies in his stomach.

Harry cleared his throat loudly. Ron and Hermione turned to look at him, sheepish grins on both of their faces.

"So, when were you two going to tell me about this?"